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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. season — of the year
  3. land — ground
  4. race — the arms race
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. race — humankind
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. season — in sport
  14. race — a contest
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. land — a country
  20. bass — low music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com